Dispenser for ice cream cones



May 24, 1938. F. w. MIMEE DISPENSER FOR ICE CREAM CONES Filed Dec. 11, 1936 Patented May 24, 1938 DKSPENSER FUR HIE (JREAM (ZONES Frederick William Mimee, Hamilton, Untario,

Canada Application December 11, 1936, Serial No. 115,413 lln (Canada Qctober 30, 1936 l iliaim.

Ice cream cones are usually shipped in cardboard boxes, provided with a hinged or removable cover to permit the removal of the cones one by one as desired. Often the cover is left open with the result that the cones are left exposed to the collection of dirt.

My object is to devise a dispenser, which may be used directly in conjunction with the boxes in c which the cones are shipped, which will protect the cones, and particularly their interiors, from dirt, and from which the cones may be conveniently removed one by one as desired.

I attain my object by packing the cones in a box from which oneend may be readily removed to expose the pointed ends of the stacked cones, and by providing a dispenser having a container shaped to receive the box with the open end lowermost, said container having an opening in its bottom for each stack of cones in the box, said opening being provided with resilient means normally capable of supporting the stack of cones, but adapted to permit the withdrawal of a cone, and to automatically engage the next cone above 'the cone being withdrawn and support the remainder oi the stack.

The dispenser is hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the dispenser; and

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figurea,

I is a box-of cardboard or similar material in which the cones 2 are packed for shipment. For convenience, I employ a box capable of holding four stacks or rows of cones, although it will be understood that my invention is equally applicable to boxes having a greater or lesser num-- ber of stacks. The box I is preferably one from which one end may be readily removed to expose the pointed ends of the cones.

i is an open-topped container, which may be 4| of metal, wood, or other suitable material and shaped to receive the open end of the box I. The

bottom Q of the container, which is of rigid mateiili. 312-413) rial, is provided with a hole 5 for each stack of cones. These holes 5 are somewhat larger than the diameter of the cones at their largest end so that the cones may freely pass therethrough.

Above the bottom t is positioned a sheet 6 of rubber, or similar resilient material. Above each hole 5, the rubber sheet 8 is slit on several lines 1 extending radially from the centre of the hole to form resilient fingers d, which are adapted as shown at the left hand side of Fig. l, to friction- 10 ally engage and support a stack of cones, or to be moved out of the path of the cones, as shown at the right hand side of Fig. l, to permit the removal of a cone.

The rubber sheet may be clamped in place in 15 any convenient manner. I show it in the drawing as having its edges clamped between the bottom of the container and the wall thereof,'while its centre is secured by a metal plate a bolted or riveted to the bottom. 2

From the above description it will'be seen that the cones may be left in and have the full protection of the box at all times until used, that the box may readily have its end opened and positioned in the dispenser, and that the cones 25 may be readily and quickly withdrawn as necessary for use.

What I claim as my invention is:

In a dispenser for ice cream cones and the like the combination of a tubular casing open at 30 its upper and lower ends; a metal support sleeved within the lower end of said casing, said support having a downwardly projecting annular flange; a diaphragm of flexible sheet material extending across the upper side of said support, said diaphragm having its edge portions bent downwardly between the inside of the casing and said flange, fastening means extending through said flange, diaphragm and easing, said support having a plurality of openings therethrough for the passage of articles, said diaphragm being slit radially of each of said openings to form a plurality of sets of resilent fingers; and means for clamping said diaphragm to the supportintermediate the openings.

FREDERICK WILLIAM MIMEE. 

